Research on this theme is aimed at understanding the progression of dormancy under mild winter conditions and the impact of insufficient winter chill on fruit production. We also study dormancy release to potentially identify new, safer rest-breaking chemicals.
Prof S Midgley completed a project that provided an indication of how climate change during the winter and early spring period might affect pome and stone fruit production in different regions. This information will be incorporated in Hortgro’s climate change App.
EXPERTISE: Dormancy Workgroup
Research Team
- Prof Wiehann Steyn
- Dr Esmé Louw
- Dr Nigel Cook
- Dr Tara Southey
- Dr Iwan Labuschagne
- Prof Adriaan van Niekerk
- Ms Portia Solomon – MSc student
- Ms Cara du Toit – MSc student
- Mr Tristan Dorfling – MSc student
- Mr Karel Vahrmeijer – MSc student
- Mr Jan Theron – MSc student
- Mr Chad van Wyk – MSc student
Projects list
- Suitability study for the South African deciduous fruit industry focusing on climate adapted plums (pilot study) (T Southey and A van Niekerk) – see Growing season climate
- Adaptability indexing of new pome (apple and pear) and stone fruit (plum and cherry) cultivars in diverse South African growing areas (I Labuschagne, E Louw, A Kock and T Dorfling) – see Growing season climate
- Investigating the significance of temperature on flowering phenology by establishing a South African apple and plum phenophase-temperature database (E Louw and I Labuschagne)
- Growth synchronisation of stone fruit rootstocks and scions with different chilling requirements (C van Wyk) - see Rootstocks and Nursery Tree Quality
- Rest breaking alternatives to hydrogen cyanamide (C van Wyk and J Theron)
- Climate profiling and change analysis of the Elgin-Grabouw-Vyeboom-Villiersdorp (EGVV), Koue Bokkeveld (KBV) and Langkloof (LK) production areas specific to Pome fruit (T Southey) – see Growing season climate
- Historic and future modelling and mapping of early season temperature patterns and extremes, and impacts for pome and stone fruit production in South Africa (S Midgley) – see Growing season climate
- Adaptability indexing of cherry cultivars in diverse South African growing areas (I Labuschagne, E Louw, C van Wyk, K Vahrmeijer) – see Growing season climate